Sewing machine with indicator means for stitch patterns



Dec. 25, 1962 K. HGLL ETAL SEWING MACHINE WITH INDICATOR MEANS FORSTITCH PATTERNS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 25, 1958 INVENTORS KQRL H60/177751 Dec. 25, 1962 K. HOLL EIAL 3,070,050

SEWING MACHINE WITH INDICATOR MEANS FOR STITCH PATTERNS Filed June 25,1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' INVENTORS new #021,

By d/rr/xzk mews-R Dec. 25, 1962 K. HULL ETI'AL 3,970,050

SEWING MACHINE WITH INDICATOR MEANS FOR STITCH PATTERNS Filed June 25,1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. K94; IVEZL 44w wai w Dec. 25, 1962 K.HOLL ETA]. 3,070,050

SEWING MACHINE WITH INDICATOR MEANS FOR STITCH PATTERNS Filed June 25,1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INYENTORS 04 #0 04 qdn/r/rm Iii/ER 5095/10/54 72-Dec. 25, 1962 K. HULL ET AI. 3,070,050

SEWING MACHINE WITH INDICATOR MEANS FOR STITCH PATTERNS Filed June 25,1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fi 4b aent 3,07@,@50 Patented Dec. 25, l fiz3,070,950 SEWING MACE-ll 1E WITH ENDICATUR MEANS FOR STITCH PATTERNSKarl Hiill and Gunther Meier, Karlsruhe-Durlach, and Eugen Welte,llarlsruhe, Germany, assigners to Gritzner-Kayser A.G.,Karlsruhe-Durlach, Germany, a German corporation Filed June 25, 1958,Ser. No. 744,555 Claims priority, application Germany lune 26, 1957 1Claim. (Cl. 112-158) The present invention relates to sewing machinesand concerns more particularly sewing machines constructed to turn outdecorative designs and fancy stitch patterns besides straight seams.

It is one of the primary objects of the present invention to providemeans affording completely automatic stitch variations even duringoperation of the sewing machine and simultaneously facilitating positivecontrol and visible change-over from one stitch pattern to anotherselected at will by an operator.

'It is another important object of the present invention to providemeans contributing to foolproof manipulations of the sewing machine byunskilled persons, teenagers, housewives and such persons, who do notlike to perform operations on a machine according to prescribedinstructions as the latter become unnecessary.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means conducive to avery efficacious, time-saving and highly economical sewing machinestructure, which avoids in a positive manner any guesswork for a greatvariety of possible sewing operations, as the respective stitch patternto be selected is readily perceivable on a dial or scale, with which anindicator or hand cooperates to determine corresponding positions of thetransfer mechanism relative to the needle bar of the machine.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide meansredounding to a very compact sewing machine structure, which requires areduced number of parts, is greatly simplified, necessitates only aunique manipulation for selecting a desired stitch pattern and is ofhighly aesthetic and balanced appearance, as numerous control knobs andlevers may be omitted, which are disturbing and complicate operations inknown sewing machines.

Yet a further object of the invention resides in the provision of meansfacilitating in a ready manner the comparison of one stitch pattern witha succeeding pattern, before same will be applied to the work piece orobject to be sewn, any heretofore known separate sewing or stitch designselector charts being dispensed with.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide meansensuring the selection of a single stitch pattern among an extremelygreat number of stitch designs with great ease and accuracy at a minimumof loss of time and effort and rendering the possibility of carrying outthe adjustment and surveying the selected stitch pattern operation insedentary position by the operator and from its work place.

In order to produce fancy stitch seams on sewing machines, it is wellknown in the art in addition to the upand downward movement to impart tothe needle or the needle bar also an oscillatory movement in transversedirection to the feed of the material to be sewn. A series of cam disksor rotating rollers with peripheral projections driven by the machineare used to control by means of followers or feeler fingers thisoscillatory movement. In addition to this arrangement interchangeablesingle cam disks were employed and assembled in set formation, wherebyeither a special feeler element was assigned to each cam disk, or only asingle feeler was provided to sweep over and engage selectively arespective cam disk of-the set. In such arrangements, an indicatordevice has already been used to facilitate adjusting the position of thefeeler element or elements, so that the regulation of the respectivefancy stitch system could be made visible or according to which theadjustment could be carried out.

As a further development Off these arrangements one has already proposedfor the purpose of producing fancy stitch seams necessitating a reversalof the feed of the material at predetermined intervals, to employ aspecial cam disk acting upon a reversing lever for the feed of thematerial, whereby said special disk was included in the cam disksforming the aforesaid pack or set. This special cam disk is actuated byadjusting means for the feeler element, which in turn controls a secondfeeler element cooperable with said reversing member of the disk set.This arrangement is primarily intended for making buttonhole seams andleads to a single button adjustment, but limits at the same time thefree interchangeability of the disks or" the assembled set of disks orrequires additionally that the respective cam disk must be replaced bythe reversing lever. Moreover, this special cam disk, which can berotated by an adjustment lever, can only take up a limited number ofcontrol cam surfaces along its circumference.

he present invention contemplates in contradistinction to the aforesaidstructures a novel design of fancy stitch means or appliance for sewingmachines. This appliance according to the invention comprises a set ofinterchange able cam disks and a feeler element or follower which, uponoperating a displaceable and rotatable handle knob, can be firstdisengaged and then moved parallel to the axis of the pack or set of camdisks.

This arrangement according to the invention further comprises anactuating lever for the reversal of the feed motion of the material,whereby said actuating lever is engageable and disengageable and iscontrolled by a predetermined disk of the set of cam disks. Thisarrangement may generally not resort to a single push button control,but nevertheless results in an essential and important simplification ofthe control mechanism and simultaneously afiords, if required, theinterchangeability and replacement of the set of cam disks and also thechange in the sequence of the various disks forming a predetermined set,which is no longer subjected to any limitation.

Accordingly the invention contemplates a fancy stitch appliance forsewing machines which may be equipped with an interchangeable set of camdisks and a feeler or follower therefor, which can be adjusted to eachdisk of the set by means of a movement directed parallel to the axis ofthe set of disks, while the feeler or follower may be retracted or movedaway from the disks by an axial movement of a handle knob and can beadjusted above and coordinated to one of the disks by rotating movementof the aforementioned handle knob. The invention is further directed toa special cam disk mounted on and assembled with the set of cam disksfor controlling a reversing lever for the feed motion of the material,as well as to indicating means coupled with said handle knob whichprovides for the adjustment of the feeler element.

The reversing lever for the material feed motion may be engaged anddisengaged by means of a special gripping bar head handle. This bar heador capstan handle is preferably provided with appropriate markingsindicating the position of the reversing lever, which markings registerwith similar indicia or markings provided on said indicating means forthe control and adjustment of the feeler element.

it is therefore still another object of the present invention to providemeans leading to a simplified control knob handle construction accordingto which the aforesaid handle knob and bar head handle are coaxiallyarranged to each other at one side of the sewing machine housing onwhich also arrangement is made for the aforesaid indicating means.

The invention is more fully explained by way of a preferred embodimentshown in the accompanying drawings which illustrate more schematicallythe novel arrangements according to the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a partial vertical section through the arm or housing of asewing machine embodying the invention.

PEG. 2 represent a fragmentary side elevational view of the indicatingmeans with dial or scale.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-section of the appliance according to theinvention.

FIGS. 4, 4a, 41) show diagrammatically various positions of theindicator means relative to the feeler or follower and the set of camdisks.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, numeral 5i) designatesthe freely extending horizontal arm of the sewing machine housing which,in a well known manner, accommodates the drive shaft 6 which imparts anupand downward movement to the needle bar 51. The needle bar 51 isguided in an oscillating frame which is supported by a pivot 52. Theoscillating frame 15 is coupled with a guide lever 13 via a control rod14, the guide lever 13 being supported on a fulcrum 53, on which in turna control lever 12 is mounted.

Transversely to a drive shaft 6, there is disposed a pack of cam disks 1located above said drive shaft. The individual cam disks are mountednon-rotatably on a hollow shaft 54, which is supported by a removablespindle or pin 55. The arm or housing 50 accommodates in a hearing 56 atits rearward side 50a a gear 5 having a bushing 57, said gear beingdriven by a worm wheel 3 via a countershaft gear 4. The worm wheel 3meshes with a Worm 2 on drive shaft 6. The retractable spindle 55 issupported in bushing 57 and is guided at its end opposite to the handleknob 58 in a suitable bearing (not shown) of the housing 50.

The gear 5 is thus driven by shaft 6 at a definite transmission ratiowith respect to the number of rotations of this latter shaft. Gear 5 isfurther coupled with the outermost cam disk 17, by means of a screw bolt59, so that the cam disk pack 1 is positively driven by means of gear 5.

Interchangeability of the cam disk pack 1 can be effected upon removalof spindle 55 from bushing 57, whereupon, after unscrewing bolt 59 setor pack 1 of the cam disks may be removed vertically through an opening(not shown) provided for this purpose in the housing; said opening beingclosable by means of a cover (not shown). The individual cam disks ofthe pack 1 are preferably designed to be interchangeable among eachother, so as to obtain a great variety and possibility of stitchcombinations. In the embodiment shown the cam disk pack 1 comprisesseveral cam disks 1a, 1b, 10 etc. and one particular cam disk 17, sothat the operator has the choice between twenty different fancy stitchpatterns.

A follower or feeler 8, which is mounted non-rotatably but movably inaxial direction along a support spindle 83, forms part of a tiltable orswingable frame 60. Frame 60 is swingably mounted on a supporting shaft153 accommodated in the machine housing. A draw bar 11 is fulcrumed withcontrol lever 12 at one free end and is coupled with the swingable frame61 (FIG. 1).

A slide finger 63 extending from threaded slide or nut 64, which isdisplaceably guided on an adjusting spindle 10, engages a transverseslot 61 provided in hub 62 supporting feeler element 8. This arrangement(FIG. 3) affords the possibility of moving feeler 8 in axial directionalong supporting shaft 19 and upon rotating spindle 1% the furtherpossibility of adjusting and coordinating said feeler to each of the camdisks of the cam disk pack 1 for cooperation therewith.

This arrangement has been so constructed that, with all parts in oneposition, the nose 8;; of the feeler 3 lies within the reach of the pathof rotation of projections or cams 7 of said cam disks. During rotationof the cam disks feeler S is swung out clockwise in accordance with theshape and the number of cams 7, this motion being transmitted to theframe or rocker 15 by means of parts 60, i1, 12, 13 and 14. Thus, theframe 15 is more or less swung to the right or to the left, the angle ofswing and the time interval during which the frame remains in the swungout end position depending on the shape of the respective cams orprojections 7.

For the purpose of adjusting feeler 8 above the cam disk pack 1, itbecomes necessary to remove feeler 8 from reaching cams '7. To this end,a bar 34 contacted by an arm 33 of a lifting lever 31 is mounted inparallel relation to the supporting shaft 19 between the side walls 6%,6% of swing frame 6%.

The lifting lever 31 is swingable about a pivot 32 located on a bearingbracket 65 and has a control arm extension 3t which cooperates with thecone part 66 of a slidable sleeve 29.

On the front end of spindle 10 is mounted a gear 2-8 which meshes withanother gear 27 which latter gear is supported by means of a clutchbushing 67 located in bearing 6% of the housing 5%. A sleeve 69 havingattached to its outer end a handle knob 26 and being rigidly connectedat its other end at 2611 with the slidable sleeve 29, is so guided inthe clutch bushing 67 that it can be axially displaced. The handle knob26 has clutch dogs 70 attached to its front end facing the clutchbushing 67. Counterdogs 71 are provided on the clutch bushing 67. Ifhandle knob arranged at the front of the machine housing is axiallymoved in the direction of spindle 78, the coupling of this handle knob26 with sleeve 67 is established via the engaging dogs 70, 71. At thesame time, cone 66 of the sliding sleeve 29 is then moved beneath thecontrol arm 30 of the lifting lever 31. The latter movement causes lever31 to swing out counter-clockwise, according to arrow A (FIG. 1) so thatswing frame 63 rotates in clockwise direction according to arrow B andthereby entrains feeler 8, so that the nose 8a of feeler 8 is lifted outof the reach of the projecting cams 7 of the cam disks.

By simultaneously rotating handle knob 26, spindle will be rotated viaparts 70, 71, 67, 27, 28 so as to adjust and coordinate feeler 8 to anydesired cam disk of the cam disk pack 1.

Gear 23 supports a second ring of gear teeth 39 meshing with the gear4%. Gear 4A is coupled with a pulley 3'7 and mounted rotatably with thislatter pulley on a supporting pin 72 journaled in housing 50. An endlessband element 36 is trained over a guide pulley 38 whereby the latter isoperatively connected to pulley 37. A pointer 35 is attached to endlessbelt 36 and is moved along a preferably glass covered dial 23 inaccordance with the movement of the band element 36. The dial 23 ismounted in an interchangeable manner behind a window or recess 73provided in the forward side or front of the housing arm 50 and bears,for example, markings or symbols 24, 25 characterizing the same sequencein which the individual cam disks are arranged in the disk pack 1. Thedial 23, which extends in a straight line in the front wall of thehousing 50, may be easily and readily inspected from the work place ofthe operator, and in conjunction with the handle knob 26 also arrangedat the front of the housing but generally remote from dial 23, thefeeler or follower 3 can be conveniently and perceivably adjusted by theoperator to any desired cam disk, as will be apparent from the abovedisclosure.

Individual fancy zig-zag stitches resulting from a suitable adjustmentof the follower or feeler 3 to the respective selected cam disks may befurther varied by means of a reversal of the feed motion effected inpredetermined alternation or change. For the purpose of making use ofthis possibility, the change-over lever 22 for the material feed motion,which otherwise may be designed in a conventional manner, is controlledby a second feeler or follower 9. This feeler 9 is pivotable about apivot pin 16 and is coupled with one arm 75 of the lever 22 in such amanner that it is able to move the lever 22 from the forward into therearward motion position. Feeler 9 has a control nose 76 which iscooperable with and coordinated to the first disk 17 of the cam diskpack 1. This control nose 76 is coupled by means of pivot 16 with acontrol lever 18 which is pivoted on the supporting pin 19, the free arm77 of the lever 18 being controllable by means of a cam disk 20. The camdisk 20 is mounted eccentrically on a spindle 78 which is rotatablyguided in the sleeve 69 and terminates in an adjusting handle piece 21arranged in a recess 21a provided in the handle knob 26, whereby handlepiece 21 and handle knob 26 form operable means for actuating thecontrol means for obtaining desirable stitch patterns, as aforesaid. Thecam disk 20 (FlG. 1) has two oppositely arranged flattened portions 79,80 which upon rotating disk 20 may be alternatively adjusted to serve ascontact faces for the arm 77 forming part of the control lever 18.

The adjusting handle piece 21, which is designed as a capstan-headhandle, carries opposite mazking points 81, 82 on its arms, the markingpoint 81 assuming the upper position to indicate in each case theadjustment given to the feeler lever 9. Thus, by rotating the adjustinghandle piece 21 the feeler lever 9 through action of the control lever18, may be brought into or out of its operating position with respect tothe cam disk 17.

Normally, the feeler 9 may be brought info and out of its operatingposition with respect to the cam disk 17 in the course of any adjustmentcarried out for first named feeler 8. But in order to be sure that thefeeler 9 is only moved into its working or operative position, whenfeeler 8 has been adjusted to assume its position on a cam disk which,for the production of the respective fancy stitch pattern in addition tothe swinging motion of the needle requires also a change in thedirection of the material feed motion, the symbols 24, 25 on the dial 23are marked in that color, which corresponds to the operative adjustmentof the adjusting handle piece 21 in accordance with the symbols 81, 82.Consequently, if the pointer or indicator 35 is adjusted to one of thesymbols 25 shown in red, the red symbol 82 on the ad justing handlepiece 21 must also be in the upper position, while upon an adjustment ofthe pointer 35 in regard to a green symbol 24 of the dial 23 whichrequires a change in the material feed motion, the capstan-headadjusting handle piece 21 must be rotated about 180, so that the greenmarking of this handle piece assumes the upper position.

The new arrangement constructed in accordance with this inventionrenders the possibility of a most extended variation of fancy stitchesand designs without the necessity of interchanging any parts. Theadjustment may be made by manipulating a simple handle assembly, and thesurveillance of the adjustment made can be readily checked by theoperator from his work place. The arrangement is simple in itsstructural set up, provides the possibility of interchanging the camdisk packs at any time and at will together with the indicating dial andwithout necessitating the use of special tools and above all ensures,provided that correct adjustment of the ad justing handle piece 21 iscarried out, the sewing machine automatically produces always therespective adjusted fancy stitch seam without any additionalmanipulation on the part of the operator.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided in accordance with thisinvention stitch pattern control means for a sewing machine of thecharacter described combined with dial means mounted on said machine andcarrying replicas of a plurality of stitch patterns, indicator meansoperatively connected with said control means and movable relative tosaid dial means during setting of said control means to therebysimultaneously indicate on said dial means a selected stitch patternaccordingly, and operable means located remote from said dial means andsaid indicator means for actuating said con trol means.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that suchobvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is:

An attachment for a sewing machine having a housing and a needle bar,comprising a set of cams, feeler means operatively connected to saidneedle bar for engaging a selected one of said cams to thereby oscillatesaid needle bar according to the contour of said one cam, 21 supportingpin extending from without into said housing, a hollow sleeve rotatableabout said pin, said set of cams being non-rotatably mounted on saidsleeve, a control knob sleeve rotatably mounted on said housing at aspaced location from said sleeve, a rotatable control knob journaled onsaid housing and coaxial with said control knob sleeve, respectiveinterengageable means connected to said knob and to said control knobsleeve for coupling said control knob sleeve for rotation by said knoband for decoupling from the latter, first means for lifting said feelermeans from said set of cams, second means for displacing said feelermeans in axial direction of and relative to said cams to therebyregister said feeler means with said one cam, motion transfer meanslocated between said control knob sleeve and said feeler means forimparting motion to said first and to said second means, successively,upon coupling of said interengageable means by said knob, indicatingmeans carried by said housing and including a display of a plurality ofstitch patterns, said indicating means including a pointer, an endlessbelt mean-s operatively connected to said pointer and to said secondmeans whereby the oscillatory movements of said feeler means via saidone selected cam are imparted to said needle bar and are indicated bysaid pointer being aligned with a particular stitch pattern of saiddisplay.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,769,439 Lee July 1, 1930 2,005,070 Bitzer June 18, 1935 2,590,907 VanTuyl et a1 Apr. 1, 1952 2,653,557 Casas-Robert et al Sept. 20, 19532,743,622 Haupt May 1, 1956 2,832,302 Gegauf Apr. 29, 1958 2,862,468Johnson Dec. 2, 1958 2,969,756 Eriksson Jan. 31, 1961 2,971,482 KoikeFeb. 14, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 548,344 Italy Sept. 24, 1956 554,764 ItalyJan. 15, 1957

